Macho Men Die Early

The tragedy of traditional masculinity is that it shortens men’s lives—and that it does so in the name of making them better husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons.

A study last month revealed a truth many of us have long suspected: men with “macho” attitudes are more reluctant to seek health care—and as a result experience shorter life expectancy and greater medical problems—than men who hold less traditional views. According to the Rutgers University researchers, men who believed in rigid gender roles (like the idea that women should be homemakers while men work) were 46 percent less likely than their more progressive peers to seek out vital life-saving preventative health care.

We take it for granted today that women outlive men, forgetting that in pre-modern times the reverse was often true. Death in childbirth was more common for women than death in war was for men; in many societies there were more widowers than widows. Think of the wicked stepmothers and single fathers who are ubiquitous in the Grimm fairy tales, and think about what must have happened to Cinderella’s mom. Women have only consistently outlived men since the advent of modern medicine not much more than a century ago.

Men aren’t dying earlier because their bodies are inherently more frail than women’s. Men die earlier because of poor lifestyle choices, most of which are rooted in the destructive rules of traditional masculinity. Two of the most basic of those “man laws” or “guy codes”:

As any insurance agent will tell you, young men are more likely to be reckless behind the wheel and to die in the resulting accidents. They are also more likely to be murdered, to commit suicide, and to overdose. These statistics hold true across racial and class lines. And though we live in a culture that often sees men as more expendable than women, the chief culprit in so many of these untimely deaths is the demanding macho ethos. From small boys “double-dog-daring” one another to jump off roofs to drag-racing teens, that ethos insists that “real men” are heedless of their safety. The toll in blood and heartbreak is incalculable.

Statistically, men take fewer overt physical risks as they transition into middle age. But aging men aren’t immune from the pressures to live up to the guy code. Where once they proved their toughness by driving fast or playing violent sports, they now measure their manhood by their willingness to ignore pain and other signs of illness. As this new Rutgers study has shown, there’s a direct correlation between the degree to which a man clings to these outdated and destructive rules and his refusal to take care of himself.

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This is deeply personal to me. All four of my great-grandmothers reached their 80s, as did both of my grandmothers. My two grandfathers died at 44 and 62, and three of my four great-grandfathers never saw 65. My dad died of stomach cancer at 71. My wife’s father died of a heart attack at 63. My daughter has two doting grannies, but will never know her parents’ fathers. And in almost every instance, these men would have lived longer had they taken better care of themselves. My father-in-law and my maternal grandfather drank themselves to death. My father’s father drove too fast on a foggy English road one morning decades ago and ploughed head-on into a bus. And my own Dad, as sweet and non-macho as he was in so many ways, ignored too many of his symptoms until it was too late.

I’m not angry at any of these men who left too soon. The decisions they made to take risks or to ignore pain were theirs, of course, but they were made in concert with an ethos that few of them had the opportunity to question. They weren’t given the opportunity their sons and grandsons have been given: the chance to reevaluate the masculine myth and its cruel insistence on relentless disregard for health and well-being.

In just a few months, I will have outlived my father’s father. That’s a haunting thought, especially as I have a very young daughter. Heloise is only 2; my wife and I took a long sweet time to become parents. If I am to see my little girl grow middle-aged, I am keenly aware I need to make different decisions than my father and grandfathers made before me. I can’t prevent every accident, of course, and even the most careful attention to diet, exercise, and doctor visits isn’t a perfect prophylaxis against untimely death. All any of us can do is improve our odds. And improving those odds means letting go of the foolish masculine ideal that demands we treat our bodies as if they were indestructible.

One of the defenses of the macho ethic is that it encourages men to be strong and tough to protect and defend their families and communities. Even if that were true, you can’t protect if you’re not present. The tragedy of traditional masculinity is that it shortens men’s lives; the scandal is that it does so in the name of making them better husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons.

We need to remind men that part of being a “real man” is being mentally, emotionally, and physically present for the people who love and rely upon us. Being present—and staying present—requires us to be better stewards of our bodies and our spirits. It doesn’t mean hypochondria or endless introspection. It means remembering that our value doesn’t lie only in our capacity to defend or to provide. It lies in our capacity to love, to connect, and to nurture.

About Hugo Schwyzer

Hugo Schwyzer has taught history and gender studies at Pasadena City College since 1993, where he developed the college's first courses on Men and Masculinity and Beauty and Body Image. He serves as co-director of the Perfectly Unperfected Project, a campaign to transform young people's attitudes around body image and fashion. Hugo lives with his wife, daughter, and six chinchillas in Los Angeles. Hugo blogs at his website

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[…] it would seem, can add not just months but years to your life. Over at the Good Men Project — Macho Men Die Early — Hugo Schwyzer offers some thoughts on one of the reasons men die earlier, on average: many of […]

I think oth men and women need to grow up and take responsibility for words and communication Many people are using others for weakness and being two faced with other mature good will adults. This is why so many adults complain about the awful exlusiveness in the world …. being popular, mean, and plain Alpha. This is why there is so much disease and unkindness in the world.

[…] some comments …. and what they said, really grinds my gears! Why Don't Men Go To The Doctor? Men with 'macho' attitudes are more reluctant to seek health care while talking about the article that was originally posted on The Good men's Project ( which I […]

Somehow masculinity is never a good idea. For Schwizer men only get better to the extent that they become more like women. And of course every time he denigrates masculinity his articles are echoed all over the feminist blogs. Men know better. I am 42 now, and I take a lot of risks. I’ve got a fine 130hp motorcycle – and damn does it go fast in traffic. I know actuaries tell me frequent motorcycling shortens lifespan by a good 5%. I shoot guns recreationally. I go to the doctor once per decade whether I need it or not. Maybe… Read more »

Men are either buffons if they exhibit male characteristics such as the instinct to hunt, provide or protect or they are weak if they love and nurture.

How about doing both in a confident and sophisticated manner that is truly the essence of who the man is? Why can’t we give into our instinct to provide and protect the people we love and also show emotion and be there mentally and physically to these same people.

We need to stop considering men as masculine or more feminine in their ways and just be ourselves.

Re. the flu, I want to repeat something that I’ve already said in a larger post.

“Man flu” is a myth that is propagated by women, the idea is that when men get the flu, its not real and its to be mocked. “Man flu” is evidence of a wider problem in the way that women view and objectify the men in their lives and male bodies as work and sacrifice objects.

What a strange term – I’ve always found the exact opposite (and Hugo seems to be saying the same). Personally I’ve finally gotten my husband to believe that I know what I’m talking about when it comes to drugs and sickness, but he still refuses to go to the doctor. I wouldn’t mind if he was a bit more of a hypochondriac so I didn’t have to bug him about it. I refuse to make appointments for him – I’m not his mom.

Bec.
Ref the flu and young folks. I think the last time that happened was in the Great Flu Epidemic 1917-1919.
Since then, there have been no reports of disproportionate numbers of flu victims among young men. Either it didn’t happen or it didn’t count, being men and all.
But, as I said, it was public medical authorities who made the point, not me. Take it up with public health. Maybe they figured young men were disposable in place of women, kids and old folks. Wonder where they got that idea.

Here is another side of the coin, my father started out with little, he got a scholarship to a good school and ended up a CEO. He worked his ass off, thats the only way to become a CEO and he died youngish from a heart attack. The four of us that he left behind got to start off at a certain level thanks to him, none of us have to work in the male glass cellar and risk our health and bodies doing so and my mother has plenty of private healthcare for her later years. It was a… Read more »

Wow. I’m a little surprised at all the backlash to this one. I think the point Hugo is making is a valid one for the most part. I think you’re off-base a little in assuming the only reason guys don’t go to the doctor is because of the “macho man” attitude. I’m not macho by traditional standards. I’m out of shape, my wife out-earns me and I don’t know the first thing about working on cars. Yet I do everything in my power not to go to the doctor’s office. I do it because I don’t like the doctor and… Read more »

For me Its what he is not saying, his track record and the crowd he brings with him. His research is political advocacy, which points to a politically correct answer. Here is something more helpful, for example… The American Journal of Public Health (5/03) has declared that men are in a “silent health crisis.” Almost every chronic illness affects men more often than women. Men account for 80-95% of homeless adults, job deaths and suicide deaths, are more likely than women to have mental disabilities but less likely to be treated for them, and die younger and have higher mortality… Read more »

For me Its what he is not saying, his track record and the crowd he brings with him. His research is political advocacy, which points to a politically correct answer. Here is something more helpful, for example… The American Journal of Public Health (5/03) has declared that men are in a “silent health crisis.” Almost every chronic illness affects men more often than women. Men account for 80-95% of homeless adults, job deaths and suicide deaths, are more likely than women to have mental disabilities but less likely to be treated for them, and die younger and have higher mortality… Read more »

Yet and still we are supposed to believe that medical care is “all about teh menz”. I’m not sure how far its gotten but I’ve seen in a few places where the lifes of Warren Ferrell is trying to push for a Council for Men and Boys in the White House. The things you point out here Male Positive (and others) are serious issues that need to be addressed but good luck with that when everytime you turn around there are people who want to do nothing but whine about all the privilege that men have and tell them to… Read more »

Hi Danny, here is Farrell talking about it.. “Joshua Dubois, the White House director of Faith-based and Neighborhood initiatives, has said his office cannot take responsibility for moving this through,” said Farrell. “The reason he gave us was that he was focused on fulfilling what he was already assigned to do, which was to focus on fatherhood and marriage, proposals that Obama has suggested for funding as of last Fathers Day.” Farrell’s proposal currently is sitting in Obama’s Chief of Staff William Daley’s office. “They have acknowledged that they have received the proposal plus about 35 letters of endorsements from… Read more »

But I think Hugo’s main point was men need to take care of themselves so they can be around to take care of their family. And I see nothing controversial about that. One problem I have with it is that that wording only serves to reinforce the notion that men are only useful for as long as they can provide (so they should work on their health so that they can provide longer). Reminds me of a story I read at the Guardian (I think) a year or so ago where the writer said that men owed it to women… Read more »

But again it shouldn’t be treated like usefulness is the reason for wanting them to live longer? How would people react if the breast cancer research was pushed as a way to keep women alive longer so they can be around longer to provide for their husbands and kids? Or that breast health is important because a woman loses her breasts to cancer then she is of no use to her husband? In fact a lot of the efforts to raise awareness for beast cancer (or many health issues that predominantly or only effect women) are usually from the perspective… Read more »

For those who have derailed this article again into some MRA screed: You’re a joke man. You take no responsibility… for even your healthcare. Who is supposed, God on high? Also, this has nothing to do with blue collar dangerous work… which is mostly done by disenfranchised Mexican migrants now, not the ‘Poor white menz’ your MRA whine about day and night. Rush Limbaugh is not working on an oil rig. But his life expectancy is low… because he keeps shoving burgers into his gaping hole and popping oxycontin like candy. No one else is to blame for his own… Read more »

Neil the article is bull and references a poor quality piece of political advocacy disguised as research. And men do take responsibility for healthcare, who do you think pays for the bulk of the healthcare thats consumed by women and children, the decades of focus on womens healthcare, has been paid for at the expense of mens healthcare. Women and children expect this from men, that was the point a lot of the mens rights people correctly brought up. The article fails to investigate the female construction of the male who is only “real” when he is sacrificing to provide… Read more »

We need to remind men that part of being a “real man” is being mentally, emotionally, and physically present for the people who love and rely upon us. And while we’re at it can we remind everyone else too? Because while I can’t speak for every man I can say that in my experience women are worse than men when it comes to pushing the macho ethos. This seems to be a trend around here. If something bad is happening to women then its men that need to change and when something bad is happening to men its men that… Read more »

Nice anit, thank you. I pulled out a few good quotes… “Being told to be a real man or to man up has nothing whatsoever to do with being a man. It’s purely about control and subservience…” “Be a real man and never let anyone tell you to be a real man ;). Seriously though, when people do that, it’s only about manipulating, shaming or otherwise bullying you into the worst form of subservience: the one where you get told what to do but still remain responsible for the outcome – particularly when the outcome isn’t good. It is also… Read more »

Get flu shots?
I can recall when there were shortages in our area–possibly local, possibly not–and the public word was that only the most vulnerable should get them.
If a man were to avoid a flu shot–not necessarily because the last time he got a flu shot he got flu–but because he thinks his generally good health will protect him from serious consequences and he can afford to let the more vulnerable have it, is that “macho”
And how many cases like that would it take to show that men, macho or otherwise, are less likely to get a flu shot?
How lame.

Probably a poor idea, given that cytokine storms are far more likely to kill healthy and able-bodied young men, which is a real danger from the flu. I’d be insisting that young and healthy people (particularly men) should be the target of flu vaccination programs.

The question of mortality (first world) is less difficult then is being positioned in the article and within the comments. The current gap is roughly 5 years, and it has been the lowest gap we’ve experienced in the last 60 years. It has been shrinking since the early seventies and there is plenty of solid evidence that the shrinkage is due to smoking rates between the sexes: men’s rates have been declining at a larger rate relative to women. Smoking was also one of the key factors why the size of the gap was as it was prior to the… Read more »

I think we should be very careful from using biological differences as an explanation. Those are, at best, assumptions and nothing more. And they prepare the ground for making discriminatory policies and judgements. For example, boys commit suicide far more often than women but because it’s more a male typical act, it therefore requires not so much attention. Biological differences are always the ground to justify genocide and other atrocities against a group of people so it’s best to just do without. Besides, even if the findings about the ill effects of testosterone are true, other studies will reveal benefits… Read more »

Nice study here, the charts show that men and women had a very similar life span until the 1950s.

“In conclusion, if there is a biological difference, the difference is very small (about 2 years). To answer the question why men die earlier, we have to look at many different factors and I will eventually do so in another post. Nevertheless male health does not have the same focus female health has and without a doubt the difference in mortality rates is another reason we should have a closer look at men’s health”
htt p://feck-blog.blogspot.com/2009/11/cloisterstudy-or-is-there-biological.html

“our value doesn’t lie only in our capacity to defend or to provide” You’re describing what SHOULD be – not what IS. The reality is very different. Of course, some men might luckily find a woman who values them for something else. But that doesn’t mean any man can afford to stop focusing on his capacity to provide/defend. That would be a logical fallacy which is often made in these sort of articles. As long as men compete for women’s favor, it is the WOMEN who decide what men are valued for. But as usual, Schwyzer will never hold female… Read more »

You say that “it is the WOMEN who decide what men are valued for” and then you say “This site is NOT the place for someone who just wants to get female admiration at the cost of men,” presumably referring to Hugo. Hugo has indeed been exploitative of women before, but he’s acknowledged this, and I see only scant evidence of it in his current behavior. You, on the other hand, appear to be display an intense anxiety disorder, where you are so afraid of rejection by women that you try to write them out of the picture entirely. You… Read more »

Wow. So much ad hominem and so little sense. Why so much hostility? I haven’t upset you have I? Such aggressive infantile anger doesn’t help much in any discussion really. All it does is provoke more hostility. I’m not even going to answer your silly attempts to discredit me because anyone can see that they’re just a pathetic way to try and make me look biased rather than address my points. The only actual point that you made was this: “Isn’t it sons who also decide what is valuable in men, i.e. in their fathers?” Fallacy. You’re mistaking one individuals… Read more »

Did anyone actually look into the study Hugo is describing? Given his reference to “Rutgers Researchers” I’m assuming it’s: “Macho Men” and Preventive Health Care: Implications for Older Men in Different Social Classes by Kristen Springer and Dawne Mouzon. This study has significant flaws. (sorry if you can’t find a copy, I’m at a university and have access to it, but I don’t think a free copy is available yet) According to the regression analysis, the Chi-Squared test failed (value <19 with 13 degrees of freedom) for 2 of the items being tested for (prostate exam and physical exam), and… Read more »

This is not the only study to show this. David Schnarch’s book “Passionate Marriage” as well as some work by addiction counselors discuss how health issues, including even things like erectile dysfunction, correlate to “macho” attitudes, i.e. emotional unavailability, fear of weakness, high risk-taking, lack of respect for women that Hugo describes. Terry Real talks about this as well in “I Don’t Want To Talk About It.”

Thank you Mike. Appreciate your review of the data. Indeed, that is the article, and when you follow Hugo’s link to it, it is hidden behind a $32 pay wall, Again thank you for clearing away the smoke and removing the mirrors. Do you think if we all chipped in we could buy Hugo a remedial statistics class (I am assuming he read the article and not just the abstract)?